[Rhodes22-list] Fandango (renaming ceremonies)
Toad the Wet Sprocket
rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Fri, 23 Aug 2002 05:48:16 -0400
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<P>All,</P>
<P>found this site too. <A href="http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/rename.htm">http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/rename.htm</A><BR><BR><BR>Please respond to sprocket80@hotmail.com </P>
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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>From: "G & D Barrera" <DBARRERA@ATTBI.COM>
<DIV></DIV>Reply-To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
<DIV></DIV>To: <RHODES22-LIST@RHODES22.ORG>
<DIV></DIV>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Fandango
<DIV></DIV>Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 21:02:31 -0500
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Like the name and lettering!
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Glen
<DIV></DIV>ChickieBabe
<DIV></DIV>Burnham Harbor
<DIV></DIV>Chicago, IL
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>----- Original Message -----
<DIV></DIV>From: "Steve Alm" <SALM@MN.RR.COM>
<DIV></DIV>To: <RHODES22-LIST@RHODES22.ORG>
<DIV></DIV>Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 6:01 AM
<DIV></DIV>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Fandango
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Hi all.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>On Tuesday, July 20th, My boat partners and I changed the name of our R22,
<DIV></DIV>hull #GBX22138K090 from Amethyst to Fandango. Rummy, kindly update "Da
<DIV></DIV>List."
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I have here a fairly lengthy account of our reasons and procedure for the
<DIV></DIV>change. Feel free to delete at this point unless you'd like to know all the
<DIV></DIV>details.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>First of all, the name Amethyst was something that we all agreed had to go.
<DIV></DIV>We didn't want our boat to be the name of a rock that sinks. Secondly, I've
<DIV></DIV>been told that amethyst is sometimes used by members of AA to symbolize
<DIV></DIV>their sobriety. Good for them but not appropriate for our boat since we do
<DIV></DIV>a fair amount of "party sailing" and libation is always allowed/encouraged
<DIV></DIV>onboard.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>"What do you do with a drunken sailor
<DIV></DIV>Put him in charge of an Exxon tanker..." Well, nuf said. ;-)
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Our previous boat was named Moondance. We really liked that name. It's a
<DIV></DIV>song by Van Morrison that many of you probably know and if you review the
<DIV></DIV>lyrics, it sings about a beautiful fall scene with lots of imagery of
<DIV></DIV>romance, intimacy, dancing in the moonlight and yes, libation. Those themes
<DIV></DIV>seem to suit us well and we considered naming the Rhodes Moondance II but we
<DIV></DIV>decided to go with something more unique. We wanted to stay with the dance
<DIV></DIV>theme and Fandango fits right in. The Fandango is a Spanish dance with
<DIV></DIV>three beats (we have three partners, all of whom have an interest in Latin
<DIV></DIV>music.) One of us, Judi, knows one Fandango song that translates to
<DIV></DIV>something like, "My boat may not be the best looking boat in the harbor but
<DIV></DIV>it has the best motion..." The Fandango is also a fiesta that the towns
<DIV></DIV>people throw to welcome the ships home from the sea. And for me, the
<DIV></DIV>rocker, I don't have to look too hard for a couple references: ZZ Top and
<DIV></DIV>Procol Harum. All of this works for us and most importantly, we all agreed
<DIV></DIV>on it.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I did a lot of research on the internet looking for the proper protocol for
<DIV></DIV>changing names. Some say that it's bad luck to change the name but most
<DIV></DIV>agree that it's OK so long as you perform a specific and rather mysterious
<DIV></DIV>ritual. I found a wide variety, most involving the spilling of generous
<DIV></DIV>amounts of, you guessed it, libation. Some were more esoteric, using the
<DIV></DIV>human blood of one's enemies. We ruled that one out...not for shortage of
<DIV></DIV>enemies but I just don't feel like going to jail over a boat name. Another
<DIV></DIV>requires the the urine of a female virgin. Well...thank God we couldn't
<DIV></DIV>find one so that was out.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Finally, we settled on John Vigor's rather popular denaming/renaming
<DIV></DIV>ceremony. Yes, first you have to dename the boat whereas you remove all
<DIV></DIV>traces of the old name and then recognize and thank the powers-that-be for
<DIV></DIV>all the safe passages under the old name, spilling lots of libation. Then
<DIV></DIV>you can christen the boat with the new name and more spillage. I've copied
<DIV></DIV>this ceremony below for you to read.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>The name Amethyst was a vinyl decal that came off pretty well with a hair
<DIV></DIV>dryer and a fair amount of patience. It left a glue residue that we took
<DIV></DIV>off with solvent. We used a couple different kinds and found mineral
<DIV></DIV>spirits to work the best. After that, there were still traces of the old
<DIV></DIV>name and we also discovered another previous name, "Just Imagine" that
<DIV></DIV>showed up as well. We took some rubbing compound and went at it with Judi's
<DIV></DIV>random orbital sander with a sponge buffing wheel attachment. The buffing
<DIV></DIV>compound seemed to have a wax content in it and water beaded up on the
<DIV></DIV>freeboard so we used alcohol to dewax.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Then we performed the denaming ceremony with much reverence and pomp. We
<DIV></DIV>stood on the bow, spoke the words and popped the cork on the first bottle of
<DIV></DIV>champagne, most of it spilling on the boat and ourselves with just enough
<DIV></DIV>for a single toast in our glasses.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Now for the new name. We enlisted the help of our list's own Rik Sandberg
<DIV></DIV>to provide us with the new vinyl decal. We worked with him on several
<DIV></DIV>drafts that he most graciously and expeditiously e-mailed to us for our
<DIV></DIV>approval. His work on this was invaluable and also very conveniently done
<DIV></DIV>through e-mail. I told him what we wanted and he sent several examples. I
<DIV></DIV>had him revise a couple times and we finally agreed on the right one. Once
<DIV></DIV>we decided on the one we wanted, I simply let him know and it showed up at
<DIV></DIV>my door in short order.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I'd like to take a moment to let you all know that Rik provided us with
<DIV></DIV>excellent service and care. I highly recommend him for any of you who might
<DIV></DIV>do this in the future. Rik doesn't "hawk his wares" here on the list
<DIV></DIV>because he doesn't want to exploit the list as a marketing tool. He's to be
<DIV></DIV>commended for this but I don't feel any need whatsoever to keep this a
<DIV></DIV>secret. As you will see from the photo that I've attached, he does
<DIV></DIV>excellent work, uses high-tech computer software to produce graphics and if
<DIV></DIV>anyone has a need for his services, I'd encourage you to keep the money in
<DIV></DIV>the "family" and shoot him your work. Well done Rik and thank you!!!
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>We put the new Fandango graphic on the freeboard and then held our
<DIV></DIV>christening ceremony. We began the ceremony with each of the three of us
<DIV></DIV>offering a song. Judi sang her fandango mentioned above. My wife, Mary Ann
<DIV></DIV>sang a Brazilian (Portuguese) song about the goddess, Yemanja, who is sort
<DIV></DIV>of the Brazilian condemble (Pagan) equivalent of Poseidon. I sang Lyle
<DIV></DIV>Lovitt's "If I Had a Boat."
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>"If I had a boat, I'd go out on the ocean,
<DIV></DIV>And If I had a pony, I'd ride him on my boat,
<DIV></DIV>And we could all together go out on the ocean,
<DIV></DIV>With me up on my pony on my boat out on the sea."
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Sorry, but I don't know the actual lyrics of the other two songs, one in
<DIV></DIV>Spanish and one in Portuguese, but if anyone is interested, I'm sure Judi
<DIV></DIV>and Mary Ann would provide them for you. We then spoke the words, popped
<DIV></DIV>the cork on the second bottle and again spilled most of it leaving a little
<DIV></DIV>to toast with.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>So there you have it. Below is John Vigor's rationale and ceremony.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Happy Sailing,
<DIV></DIV>Slim
<DIV></DIV>S/V Fandango
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>http://www.48north.com/aug97/denaming.htm
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Due to an overwhelming number of requests for copies of John Vigor's
<DIV></DIV>Interdenominational Boat Denaming Ceremony, we are rerunning it again. Now,
<DIV></DIV>take care to save this one!
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>------------------------------------------------------------------------
<DIV></DIV>I once knew a man in Florida who told me he'd owned 24 different yachts and
<DIV></DIV>renamed every single one of them.
<DIV></DIV>"Did it bring you bad luck?" I asked.
<DIV></DIV>"Not that I'm aware of," he said. "You don't believe in those old
<DIV></DIV>superstitions, do you?"
<DIV></DIV>Well, yes. Matter of fact, I do. And I'm not alone. Actually, it's not so
<DIV></DIV>much being superstitious as being v-e-r-y careful. It's an essential part of
<DIV></DIV>good seamanship.
<DIV></DIV>Some years ago, when I wanted to change the name of my newly purchased
<DIV></DIV>31-foot sloop from Our Way to Freelance, I searched for a formal "denaming
<DIV></DIV>ceremony" to wipe the slate clean in preparation for the renaming. I read
<DIV></DIV>all the books, but I couldn't find one. What I did learn, though, was that
<DIV></DIV>such a ceremony should consist of five parts: an invocation, an expression
<DIV></DIV>of gratitude, a supplication, a re-dedication and a libation. So I wrote my
<DIV></DIV>own short ceremony. Vigor's inter-denominational denaming ceremony. It
<DIV></DIV>worked perfectly. Freelance carried me and my family many thousands of
<DIV></DIV>deep-sea miles both north and south of the equator, and we enjoyed good luck
<DIV></DIV>all the way. I used the same ceremony recently to change the name of my
<DIV></DIV>newly acquired Santana 22 from Zephyr to Tagati, a Zulu word that means
<DIV></DIV>"magic," or "bewitched." We're hoping she'll sail like a witch when I
<DIV></DIV>finally get her in the water this summer after an extensive refit.
<DIV></DIV>I'll give you the exact wording of Vigor's denaming ceremony, but first you
<DIV></DIV>must remove all physical traces of the boat's old name. Take the old log
<DIV></DIV>book ashore, along with any other papers that bear the old name. Check for
<DIV></DIV>offending books and charts with the name inscribed. Be ruthless. Sand away
<DIV></DIV>the old name from the lifebuoys, transom, top-side, dinghy, and oars. Yes,
<DIV></DIV>sand it away. Painting over is not good enough. You're dealing with gods
<DIV></DIV>here, you understand, not mere dumb mortals. If the old name is carved or
<DIV></DIV>etched, try to remove it or, at the very minimum, fill it with putty and
<DIV></DIV>then paint over. And don't place the new name anywhere on the boat before
<DIV></DIV>the denaming ceremony is carried out. That's just tempting fate.
<DIV></DIV>How you conduct the ceremony depends entirely on you. If you're the
<DIV></DIV>theatrical type, and enjoy appearing in public in your yacht club blazer and
<DIV></DIV>skipper's cap, you can read it with flair on the foredeck before a gathering
<DIV></DIV>of distinguished guests. But if you find this whole business faintly silly
<DIV></DIV>and embarrassing, and only go along with it because you're scared to death
<DIV></DIV>of what might happen if you don't, you can skulk down below and mumble it on
<DIV></DIV>your own. That's perfectly okay. The main thing is that you carry it out.
<DIV></DIV>The words must be spoken.
<DIV></DIV>I compromised by sitting in Tagati's cockpit with the written-out ceremony
<DIV></DIV>folded into a newspaper, so that any passerby would think I was just reading
<DIV></DIV>the news to my wife, sitting opposite. Enough people think I'm nuts already.
<DIV></DIV>Even my wife has doubts. The last part of the ceremony, the libation, must
<DIV></DIV>be performed at the bow, just as it is in a naming ceremony. There are two
<DIV></DIV>things to watch out for here. Don't use cheap-cheap champagne, and don't try
<DIV></DIV>to keep any for yourself. Buy a second bottle if you want some. Use a brew
<DIV></DIV>that's reasonably expensive, based on your ability to pay, and pour the
<DIV></DIV>whole lot on the boat. One of the things the gods of the sea despise most is
<DIV></DIV>meanness, so don't try to do this bit on the cheap.
<DIV></DIV>What sort of time period should elapse between this denaming ceremony and a
<DIV></DIV>new naming ceremony? There's no fixed time. You can do the renaming right
<DIV></DIV>after the denaming, if you want, but I personally would prefer to wait at
<DIV></DIV>least 24 hours to give any lingering demons a chance to clear out. (Scroll
<DIV></DIV>down for the wording of the ceremony.)
<DIV></DIV>Afterwards
<DIV></DIV>Now you can pop the cork, shake the bottle and spray the whole of the
<DIV></DIV>contents on the bow. When that's done, you can quietly go below and enjoy
<DIV></DIV>the other bottle yourself. Incidentally, I had word from a friend last month
<DIV></DIV>that the Florida yachtsman I mentioned earlier had lost his latest boat, a
<DIV></DIV>22-foot trailer-sailer. Sailed her into an overhead power line. Fried her.
<DIV></DIV>She burned to the waterline. Bad luck? Not exactly. He and his crew escaped
<DIV></DIV>unhurt. He was just very careless. He renamed her, as usual, without
<DIV></DIV>bothering to perform Vigor's famous interdenominational denaming ceremony.
<DIV></DIV>And this time, at long last, he got what he deserved.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Vigor's Denaming Ceremony
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this ship in the past, and in the
<DIV></DIV>name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the ancient
<DIV></DIV>gods of the wind and the sea to favor us with their blessing today.
<DIV></DIV>"Mighty Neptune, king of all that moves in or on the waves; and mighty
<DIV></DIV>Aeolus (pronounced EE-oh-lus), guardian of the winds and all that blows
<DIV></DIV>before them:
<DIV></DIV>"We offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in
<DIV></DIV>the past. We voice our gratitude that she has always found shelter from
<DIV></DIV>tempest and storm and enjoyed safe passage to port.
<DIV></DIV>"Now, wherefore, we submit this supplication, that the name whereby this
<DIV></DIV>vessel has hitherto been known (_____), be struck and removed from your
<DIV></DIV>records.
<DIV></DIV>"Further, we ask that when she is again presented for blessing with another
<DIV></DIV>name, she shall be recognized and shall be accorded once again the selfsame
<DIV></DIV>privileges she previously enjoyed.
<DIV></DIV>"In return for which, we rededicate this vessel to your domain in full
<DIV></DIV>knowledge that she shall be subject as always to the immutable laws of the
<DIV></DIV>gods of the wind and the sea.
<DIV></DIV>"In consequence whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a
<DIV></DIV>libation offered according to the hallowed ritual of the sea." CLICK HERE
<DIV></DIV>for Printable Page of Vigor's Denaming Ceremony
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Christening Ceremony
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>After a boat is denamed, you simply need to rename it using the traditional
<DIV></DIV>christening ceremony, preferably with Queen Elizabeth breaking a bottle of
<DIV></DIV>champagne on the bow, and saying the words:
<DIV></DIV>"I name this ship ___________ and may she bring fair winds and good fortune
<DIV></DIV>to all who sail on her."
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>John Vigor, an Oak Harbor resident, is a boating writer and editor. He is
<DIV></DIV>the author of the following books:
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>* Danger, Dolphins & Ginger Beer (Simon & Schuster) a sailing adventure
<DIV></DIV>novel for 8 to 12 year-olds.
<DIV></DIV>* The Practical mariner's Book of Knowledge (International Marine)
<DIV></DIV>* The Sailor's Assistant (International marine) For publication in 1999:
<DIV></DIV>* The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat (International Marine)
<DIV></DIV>* 20 Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere (Paradise Cay)
<DIV></DIV>...return to 48° North title page.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
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